The number of movies about gifted youngsters sacrificing the traditional teen experience in favor of artistic perfection or academic excellence is immeasurable. "Stick It" peered into the world of Olympic hopeful gymnastics, "Whiplash" pulled back the curtain of elite musicianship, and "Bring It On" turned the world of competitive cheerleading into one of the greatest teen films ever made. This is all to say, coming-of-age stories in this territory are well-tread, so finding a way to stand out among so many all-time greats is a massive undertaking. Fortunately, for D.W. Waterson's directorial feature film debut, "Backspot," this stylish, unapologetically queer look at the world of All-Star Cheerleading (not to be confused with high school cheerleading) is a soaring breath of fresh air.
Written by Joanne Sarazen, "Reservation Dogs" star Devery Jacobs commands the tale as star cheerleader Riley, who is given the opportunity to audition for the elite competitive squad,...
Written by Joanne Sarazen, "Reservation Dogs" star Devery Jacobs commands the tale as star cheerleader Riley, who is given the opportunity to audition for the elite competitive squad,...
- 5/31/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Exclusive: XYZ Films has acquired U.S. and Australia/Nz rights to distribute the TIFF sports drama Backspot, directed by first-time feature filmmaker D.W. Waterson and starring Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs) and Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld).
XYZ Films will release the film domestically and has set a theatrical release for spring of 2024.
The rights deal was negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group with James Emanuel Shapiro from XYZ Films.
In the film, an ambitious cheerleader (Jacobs) faces both new adversity and the increased drive for perfection and triumph when she and her girlfriend are selected for an all-star cheer squad with an overbearing head coach (Evan Rachel Wood).
The film was written by Joanne Sarazen with a story by D.W. Waterson, and is produced by Alona Metzer, D.W. Waterson, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs and Martin Katz, and is executive-produced by Elliot Page, Matthew Jordan Smith, J.C. Davidson and Katisha Shaw,...
XYZ Films will release the film domestically and has set a theatrical release for spring of 2024.
The rights deal was negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group with James Emanuel Shapiro from XYZ Films.
In the film, an ambitious cheerleader (Jacobs) faces both new adversity and the increased drive for perfection and triumph when she and her girlfriend are selected for an all-star cheer squad with an overbearing head coach (Evan Rachel Wood).
The film was written by Joanne Sarazen with a story by D.W. Waterson, and is produced by Alona Metzer, D.W. Waterson, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs and Martin Katz, and is executive-produced by Elliot Page, Matthew Jordan Smith, J.C. Davidson and Katisha Shaw,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
If you’re looking for recent movies about the uniquely harrowing experience of female perfectionism, there’s the Taylor Swift documentary Miss Americana, Lauren Hadaway’s gut-punching feature debut The Novice, and now Backspot, the debut feature from Canadian DJ and director D. W. Waterson. Backspot has all the trappings of an impactful story, putting capable actors like Devery Jacobs and Evan Rachel Wood in the pressure cooker of competitive cheerleading. Unfortunately, this movie is far more concerned with bassy beats and showy camerawork than it is with making a point.
Our protagonist is Riley (Jacobs), a neurotic backspot who gets recruited into an elite squad, the Thunderhawks, just before a big competition. Together with her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) and friend Rachel (Noa Diberto), Riley tries to withstand the brutal new standards set forth by their exacting coach, Eileen (Evan Rachel Wood). Riley, who shares her home with an aggressive,...
Our protagonist is Riley (Jacobs), a neurotic backspot who gets recruited into an elite squad, the Thunderhawks, just before a big competition. Together with her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) and friend Rachel (Noa Diberto), Riley tries to withstand the brutal new standards set forth by their exacting coach, Eileen (Evan Rachel Wood). Riley, who shares her home with an aggressive,...
- 9/9/2023
- by Lena Wilson
- The Film Stage
What would a teen sports movie be without (deep breath): family troubles, physical trauma, classifiable disorders, emotional upheavals, demanding coaches, all-important final competitions, fraying romantic relationships, major intra-team drama, secrets, lies, drugs, drinking, partying, out of control ambition, and unchecked competitive spirit? But while all those elements might feel, sound, and look familiar, reoriented within D.W. Waterson’s feature filmmaking debut, they take on fresh power. You may think you know your sports movie tropes, but you’ve never seen them used quite this way — that is, within a queer cheerleading drama firmly focused on complex female characters — and Waterson’s “Backspot” delights in skewing such expectations for often (but not always) new ends.
Featuring “Reservation Dogs” star Devery Jacobs (who also produces the project) in yet another breakout role in a seeming string of them, “Backspot” won’t necessarily surprise its audience, but it will give them a...
Featuring “Reservation Dogs” star Devery Jacobs (who also produces the project) in yet another breakout role in a seeming string of them, “Backspot” won’t necessarily surprise its audience, but it will give them a...
- 9/9/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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